Wounded Shadow
by IAmTheGrayArea
Summary: When a powerful magical force throws Merlin and Arthur into a strange, strange world, they must rely on each other to escape. SLASH. Merthur. Merlin/Arthur. Slow building.
1. Infinite

Hey, so I have decided to make a Merthur fanfic. I debated this for a while, considering that I have so little time to write and so many other projects that I'm working on, but they are my current obsession and I am having a really hard time finding good Merthur fics (any suggestions would be appreciated). So, I decided, why the hell not?

*Spoilers: Everything coincides with the show's storyline, except that Arthur and Gwen have not married.

Type: Slash, M/M, Merlin/Arthur, slow building

Rating: Starts off T, but will eventually be M

~/~/~/~/~/~/~

Merlin hustled down the corridor towards the throne room. He was late and if he wanted to avoid Arthur's griping later, he'd have to make sure he wasn't _too_ late… and had an appropriate excuse in tow.

'_Oh, in fact it was because I was reorganizing your clothes, sire_.'

Or more to the point: '_Don't worry. Whatever I was doing that made me late was undoubtedly for you so can we skip the insults and move ahead to the thank you?_'

He'd figure it out later, probably on the spot. He was talented at spontaneous answers like that.

He came upon the large doors that separated him from the round table and all its occupants. His palms hit heavily, pushing the doors open without much subtlety. Still in haste, he did not stop walking in an effort to shake some of the attention he had gathered at his entrance. He looked to Arthur first, who was watching him. His eyes swept everyone else, giving a quick, no teeth smile. And his eyes went back to Arthur, who still held him in his gaze.

'_Sorry_,' he mouthed.

With that, Arthur's eyes flicked back to his knights and his voice rose again, continuing his dialogue.

Merlin listened, coming to his place. Just behind Arthur, standing.

"Now, this should not be of concern to us yet. We've never exactly been on friendly terms with the Druids, but they pose no immediate threat to us. Their camp is situated just inside of Camelot's territory. A small troop of people. As long as they remain amiable, then so shall we."

"So we take no action?" Leon asked.

"Correct," Arthur confirmed. "We shall remain aware of their whereabouts and hopefully nothing will come of it."

_Quite a different tact than his father_, Merlin thought fondly. Arthur stayed back and trusted. Uther initiated and fought. Arthur thrived, Uther destroyed.

Merlin was the first to sense it. Much like dogs and how they can instinctively feel earthquakes before a human feels the first rumble.

But it was a mere moment sooner and all Merlin had time to accomplish was to look towards Arthur.

And then it hit.

The weight of immense magic filled the room like liquid; ripping the air from everyone's lungs and making it feel as if they were submersed deep under the ocean's leagues of water. Merlin's knees buckled and he hit the ground unsympathetically. He saw Arthur collapse too, and fear jolted his body into action. He crawled rigidly across the floor, fighting against the screaming silence that threatened to blow his eardrums. His vision blanked into nothing but white and he let out a yell.

"_Arthur_!"

He threw an arm out blindly and met nothing. Blurry figures and objects stretched across his vision and he blinked hard to try and clear the image.

He fought to force thick air into his lungs, but it felt like trying to breathe in sludge.

"_Arthur_," he chocked out this time, throwing his arms out again.

And then, suddenly, a hand was gripping onto his jacket. The hand grasped all the layers of his clothes and pulled hard.

Arthur's face, fuzzy and distorted, came into Merlin's view.

"_Merlin_," Arthur said through clenched teeth. "Get out… _now_."

"Not…" Merlin began but collapsed into himself. Speaking was much more difficult than he thought it'd be. "Without… _You_." He still managed the words.

And again the brightest light formed and Merlin looked directly into the blinding nothingness. For a second he thought it resembled a doorway before it enveloped both he and Arthur.

Everything was pure white. There was no sound. They couldn't even hear their own screams… Their own _thoughts_. And just when the pressure surrounding them seemed fatal, everything just _released_.

And it felt like falling.

~/~/~/~/~/~/~

Merlin woke in a panic, jerking his whole body roughly. The first thing he felt was a weight against his chest, but air was coming easily into his lungs and he just took in a couple deep inhales, appreciated the ease of it all like he never had before. He looked around and looked down at the weight.

It was Arthur's hand, still gripping firmly onto Merlin's jacket. The fingers were white with tautness and Merlin's hands went to relieve them of their duty. He coaxed the fingers to relax.

"Arthur," he said, glancing at his still friend. "Arthur," he said a little sterner. His hands abandoned their task and went to Arthur's face. He cupped his cheeks and felt his forehead. He felt neither cold nor hot. He looked as if he were sleeping. "Come on," Merlin mumbled, shaking Arthur a bit. "Wake up."

A soft, barely audible moan came from Arthur and he began to show signs of stirring. "Arthur," Merlin said relieved.

"Yes!" Arthur jumped awake, yanking Merlin forward; for he had yet to forego his death grip on Merlin's jacket. He looked around wildly for a moment, breathing erratically before he realized that the air was back to normal. His eyes found Merlin and the panic fled them. His breathing settled almost immediately.

"Merlin," Arthur began, his voice slightly uneven. "What happened?"

"Powerful magic is what happened," Merlin answered. He brought a hand up to his chest and began to peel Arthur's fingers, one by one, off of himself. "Past that, I have no idea."

Arthur released his grip, bringing his hand back into himself quickly. It fell awkwardly to his lap. "Where are we? Where are the others?"

Merlin hadn't gotten that far yet.

Arthur was alive. _Check_.

Now he could worry about the humongous mound of trouble they were undeniably already too deeply involved in.

He gave his surroundings a thorough look over.

They were outside in what appeared to be a long abandoned building of some sort. It originally had thick, strong stone walls, but only crumbled, decrepit sections remained of the structure. Thick, healthy vines twined themselves everywhere. They climbed and covered everything in sight. Earth overcoming what was manmade.

"Do you think we're in Camelot still?" Arthur asked.

_Can't be that easy_, Merlin thought. "I doubt it."

The king's shoulders sank minutely, as if he knew what Merlin was thinking. "What is this place?"

"An old castle, perhaps?" Merlin guessed. He tested putting weight on his feet and after a few successful attempts, stood fully upright. "But it's been abandoned for quite some time."

"Not just abandoned," Arthur said, getting to his feet without caution. He faltered but quickly recovered.

Merlin gave him a chastising look.

Arthur ignored it. "It's been forgotten," he finished. "No one has been here in quite some time. I fear how long. Let's go."

Merlin looked mildly surprised. "Let's go where?"

"I don't know, Merlin," Arthur said. "But we can't just stand here like two dollop heads."

Merlin watched his king walk towards what looked to be the remnants of a doorway. "Now we're both dollop heads?"

"No, just the ones who aren't walking," Arthur said, passing through the door and disappearing from Merlin's sight.

Merlin stood for a moment longer, debating a retort when Arthur's head reappeared.

"Come on, _Mer_lin," he said much firmer now.

Merlin caved, walking in the same footstep prints that Arthur was leaving in his wake. The vines were at least a foot deep and felt spongy under Merlin's boots. They weren't killing the plants, but he was pretty certain they didn't appreciate being stepped on.

The room they entered looked identical to the one they had woken up in. Without delay, they moved on and entered the adjacent room. It looked very similar as well.

"Well, I'm starting to see a pattern," Merlin said.

Arthur did not appreciate the humor. "We need to find a way out of here. My men might be in here too. If so, we must find them."

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, recalling some details from earlier. "Did you see… a doorway? You know, before we woke up here."

The king searched Merlin's eyes for a moment before nodding slowly. "I did."

"It was only there for a short time," Merlin said. "If the others did pass through it too, then it could have only been a handful of them. And if they did, why didn't they wake up here with us?"

"I don't know," Arthur admitted. "If it's magic that brought us here, which it seems it was, then nothing is certain. All I can do is act on what I believe to be right. And if my men are here too, then we need to find them and regroup. Magic just doesn't happen spontaneously. We've been attacked. By someone. A sorcerer."

"Morgana?"

"No way of telling, but probably," Arthur said dryly.

Merlin watched the instant disdain Arthur showed for magic. He felt anger grip at his chest, but his eyes revealed nothing but sorrow. His anger was not towards Arthur, it was reserved for Morgana and all the others who abused magic. But the sorrow was for Arthur: the man who knew nothing but the evils of sorcery.

But what Arthur didn't know was that he was exposed to the good side of magic much more than the evil. He just hadn't realized it yet.

_Yet_.

"We're moving, Merlin," Arthur's voice came into his thoughts and his eyes refocused on the back of his king as he moved away.

They moved through a dozen more rooms before Arthur stopped and let out a short, but frustrated outburst. "All of these rooms are exactly the same," he said, kicking some of the shrubbery.

Merlin put his index finger up. "Idea," he said and leapt up onto one of the diminishing stone walls. He climbed higher until he reached the highest wall. He peered over the top.

He turned around, silent.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked. "What is it?"

"You might want to take a look for yourself," Merlin said.

Arthur's jaw line tensed. "Just tell me."

"Uh… these rooms… they uh…" Merlin tried to find the words. Actually he knew the words; he just didn't want to say them. "They… go on… forever." He made a hand gesture that was supposed to represent 'forever.'

"As in…" Arthur said.

"_Forever_," Merlin repeated. "As in infinitely. As in never, ever, ever ending."

"I get it," Arthur said.

Merlin let his back slid down the stone until he was in a sitting position, still on the wall. "What now?"

"Obviously this is a trap of some sort," Arthur said. "And there's only one thing to do once you are trapped. Figure a way to get out."

~/~/~/~/~/~/~

"So," Merlin said, breaking the silence. "You've been awfully quiet for the past few hours."

Night had descended on them and they had set up a fire. They sat opposite each other, peering through the dancing flames.

Merlin had situated himself within a nook that was amply filled with undergrowth. It served as a better bed than many of the nights out in the woods of Camelot. If only the night air wasn't so crisp and cool. His thin jacket just wasn't keeping in the warmth of the fire. He crossed his arms tightly over his chest, still staring at Arthur.

"We'll get through this, you know?" Merlin said. "We might be trapped inside a magical, never-ending labyrinth of rooms, but we'll figure our way out of it. Like we always do."

Arthur's gaze was steadily on Merlin as he spoke. "And you're so sure?"

"Yes," Merlin said immediately.

"Well, good," Arthur said, letting a small smile appear. "Because I don't know how long I could last, trapped, with just _you_ for company."

"And you think it'll be fun for me?" Merlin asked, affronted. "Listening to you complain all day and all night. Ordering me around for the rest of eternity. Or, I guess, until starvation kicks in. And we both know I'd be the first to go, you know, because I have less _fat_." He patted his stomach.

Arthur gave a short, fake laugh. "Which is also why you'll freeze tonight." He shifted deeper into the foliage, looking smug and comfortable under his chain mail and cape.

Merlin's face fell, remembering how cold he was.

"You could make a kudzu blanket," Arthur suggested.

_Or I could just use my magic_, Merlin thought, but kept his mouth shut.

Silence settled again. Just the cracking from the fire interrupted the otherwise silent surroundings.

"I'm actually glad it's you here," Arthur said, his eyes coming up for just a moment before shifting down again.

_I know_ was Merlin's first thought.

Merlin's eyes were studying his hands, and they moved up but couldn't quite reach Arthur's face. Instead he stared into the fire as he answered. "Me too."


	2. Abandoned

~/~/~/~/~/~/~

Merlin woke to the sound of Arthur screaming. Flailing instinctively, his eyes first met the same scene he last witnessed before sleep had overcome him only hours before: except that it was daytime and only dark, burned ash remained of the fire.

And Arthur was no longer across from him.

He sat upright, throwing off Arthur's cloak that was covering him. He gawkily maneuvered onto his feet and was running before he even knew in which direction to go.

"Arthur!" he yelled. "Where are you?"

"Merlin!" Arthur's voice came, but it was distant. His voice echoed slightly making it near impossible to calculate its origins.

Merlin stutter stopped and tried to listen, waiting for Arthur's voice again. After an extended moment, his voice lifted above the silence once again.

"Merlin!"

"Arthur!" Merlin screamed back with everything he had. It vaguely reminded him of the voice he used when calling forth Kilgharrah. This time he got an instant reply.

"Merlin! Where are you?"

"Exactly where you left me!" he screamed back, hoping Arthur was able to hear and understand him.

"Then where am I?" Arthur asked.

"Retrace your steps," Merlin yelled.

"But I didn't go anywhere!" Arthur replied, actually sounding a little annoyed at Merlin's inability to understand exactly where he was and how he had gotten there. "I woke up exactly where we had made camp and _you_ were gone!"

"But, you were gone—" Merlin stopped swiftly and lowered his voice, speaking next only to himself. "Oh no." He looked back at the campsite behind him. Definitely no Arthur.

But how can both he and Arthur be at the _same_ campsite in two completely _different_ locations?

"Merlin?" Arthur's voice came, sounding aggravated and a little concerned.

"I'm at the campsite," Merlin explained, or tried to. "I just woke up at the campsite and _you_ were missing."

"How can that be, you idiot?"

Merlin bowed his head and attempted some patience. "Let's try to find each other. Can you come to my voice?"

"I can try," Arthur said. "Try to come to mine!"

He listened carefully, trying his best to deduce exactly which direction Arthur's voice was coming from. And then he realized something quite simple. He looked down at the direction his body was facing. He had, innately, _faced_ the sound of Arthur's voice. He had naturally turned his ear towards the direction in which it was coming.

Currently he was facing the corner of the room. He looked for the nearest door. He slipped through and went as much as he could in the direction he needed to head.

"Merlin!" Arthur said. "How am I supposed to follow your voice if you're not speaking?"

"Never thought I'd hear the day when you admitted to missing the sound of my voice," Merlin teased, smiling as he moved through the rooms with more confidence. Arthur was sounding closer.

"That isn't at all what I said," Arthur claimed and even from a distance Merlin could heed the unimpressed nature of his words.

Which, of course, only made him smile. "Well, it's what I heard," he said, stubbornly maintaining his stance on the subject.

"I wasn't aware you were so keen on compliments, Merlin," Arthur said.

"Because you've never given me one, sire," Merlin replied, having gone through at least two dozen rooms by this point.

"You sound close," Arthur said, deserting the current topic and opting for the more pressing issue.

"We are close," Merlin confirmed, almost certain they would run headlong into each other soon. He rushed into the adjacent room and felt immediate disappointment when he did not see any sign of Arthur. Perplexed, he stood still, waiting for Arthur to appear through one of the doors.

"Arthur?" he called out.

"Merlin?!" Arthur responded, but it no longer came from in front of Merlin, but from behind him.

Merlin spun around.

They must have missed each other.

"Seriously, Merlin," Arthur said, exasperated. "How did you miss me?"

"We missed _each other_," Merlin corrected, remembering the need to maintain constant patience with his beloved king. "Go to the highest point in your room and look over the wall. We'll be able to see each other." And as Merlin spoke he accomplished clambering up the tallest wall. He scanned his surroundings, expecting Arthur's head to pop up somewhere relatively close. He waited.

And waited.

"Merlin," Arthur's voice came… _close_. Very close. "Are you having trouble scaling the wall?"

"No!" Merlin said, "I'm already up on the wall."

"Impossible," Arthur said. "I don't see you."

"I am," Merlin pressed.

And the gravity of what was happening crept into Merlin.

They could hear each other, but they couldn't see each other. They _were_ right next to each other, probably mere feet away, but in two separate… _realms_. They were both trapped in a separate version of the same world.

They were alone.

A spurt of fear shivered through Merlin as he realized he no longer had Arthur with him.

"Arthur," Merlin said and his voice clearly held the trepidation he felt.

"I know," Arthur said.

Arthur had been figuring out the same conclusion.

"This doesn't change anything," Merlin said. "You still need to figure out how to get out of here." He jumped down, hitting the ground with a dull thud. "This is all part of the game. We just need to figure out how to play it."

"Hey, Merlin!" Arthur said. "Get back up here."

Arthur could hear Merlin's voice getting further away.

"It's stunning," Merlin said, re-climbing the wall. "You're _still_ ordering me around even in separate _dimensions_." He reached the same spot he stood before.

"You're right, this doesn't change anything," Arthur said. "_We_ still need to figure out how to get out of here."

"Arthur," Merlin said. "This isn't about me, its abo—"

"I'm not leaving you," Arthur interrupted quickly, with a soft laugh that showed that any other route of action would be ridiculous. "Now, we need to figure out how to get… back together."

"You were the one to break it off with me, remember?" Merlin joked.

"Inappropriate, Merlin," Arthur deadpanned, but even without seeing his face Merlin knew there was a small smile hiding there.

"You sound so close," Merlin said.

"Yes," Arthur agreed. "I suspect we're actually standing on opposite sides of the same wall."

"Hold on, right there," Merlin said, jumping down again. "I have an idea."

"I'm not going anywhere," Arthur said.

"Don't roll your eyes," Merlin said and once Arthur did not respond immediately he knew he was indeed doing that exact thing. He grinned. Even without seeing Arthur he could still _see_ Arthur.

He ran around the wall and into the room Arthur should be in. He wasn't exactly expecting to see Arthur by this point, but hope still fluttered in his stomach when he turned the corner.

No Arthur.

"Now, speak," Merlin ordered.

"I'm not a dog, Merlin."

Just as Merlin suspected. Arthur's voice came from the opposite side—the side where Merlin had just been standing. It didn't matter what side he was on, Arthur would be on the opposite.

He walked up to the wall, placing his palm flat against the stone. He didn't know what to do. "Any ideas?" he asked.

"What happened to your last idea?" Arthur asked.

"I was just… confirming that it didn't matter what side I was on. You'd inevitable be on the other."

"Fantastic," Arthur said quietly.

Silence fell and the loneliness was almost instantly palpable.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked. "Can you see this crack on the top of the wall?"

Merlin arched his head back, looking at the edge of the wall. He climbed up again and studied the top edge. A large, hefty crack etched its way for two or three feet along the surface. "Yeah."

"Place your hand over it," Arthur said.

Merlin's fingers started at the very end, tracing along the rough indention. He slowly made it halfway when he sensed what felt like wind brush against the back of his hand. He stopped.

Was that Arthur?

"Hmm," he heard Arthur hum.

"What is it?" Merlin asked.

"I thought I might be able to… I don't know, feel you. Feel your hand," he added swiftly.

"I think I did," Merlin said. "Do it again."

After a moment, the same subtle, gentle wind grazed Merlin's hand. "I can feel you," he confirmed.

Arthur did not respond.

"Arthur?"

"I can't feel anything," he said and his voice sounded more distant, as if his back was turned to Merlin. "It was a daft idea anyway." He had jumped down, away from Merlin, and the warlock felt a short tingle of desperation at the loss of Arthur's touch. That was the closest he had felt towards Arthur, not since he had woken up this morning, but in quite a long time.

"It's your turn, Merlin. Come up with the next idea."

"Arthur, we're trapped in a world of magic," Merlin said. "You must be willing to open yourself up to ideas that don't seem all that logical. Nothing about this situation makes sense. So… don't give up so easily."

"I didn't feel anything, Merlin," Arthur said firmly.

Merlin maneuvered down the wall and back to the ground. Again, he placed his hand against the stone wall. Arthur was, in a sense, just beyond this separation. And if Merlin didn't know better, the sounds that emitted from the other side made it feel like Arthur really was just a foot or two away. He closed his eyes. He could see it in his mind so clearly: Arthur pacing back and forth, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"Aaagghh," Arthur let out a frustrated yell and hit his side of the stone wall.

Merlin's eyes came to life and his other hand shot to the wall. He pushed the palms of his hands against the surface. "I felt that, Arthur. I felt you hit the wall."

"Really?" Arthur said, coming up to his side and placing his hands against it too.

"Hit it again," Merlin said.

After a moment, the same faint vibration trickled through the stone and into Merlin's palms. "Yes," he confirmed, smiling wide.

"Let's break through the wall," Arthur said. "Get a rock and start chipping away."

"That could take days," Merlin said.

"And once we come up with a better idea, we can abandon this one. Until then…" A pounding sound came from Arthur's side. "This is what we'll do." Another loud thump came.

Midday turned to evening and Merlin had disposed of his jacket. Sweat dripped down his forehead and face as he thrust the rock into the wall for the thousandth time.

"What does your side look like?" Merlin panted out, resting for a moment.

"Well," Arthur breathed out. "I got a chunk about an inch thick out not too long ago."

Merlin eyed his side. It looked tiredly the same. Still coarse and uneven and slightly deeper than when he started… hours ago.

"Have you stopped?" Arthur asked.

"Just taking a break."

"No time," Arthur said.

"We both know you're the one with all the brawn," Merlin said.

"And you have neither brawn nor brains, so get back to work. Be useful."

Merlin forced himself up again and hefted the heavy rock back into his arms. "Can we go back to complimenting me?" he asked, slamming both the rock and practically his body into the wall.

"Get through this wall and I'll give you a compliment."

~/~/~/~/~/~/~

Night had descended on them for the second time. The darkness had brought with it the cold and Merlin had donned his jacket once again. His fingers were sore and his arms exhausted. The rock he had been using as a tool was beside him on the ground, smaller than it had started. Merlin feared he was actually breaking apart more of the rock than of the wall. He lay on his back, starring up at the clear, star filled sky. He crossed his arms over his chest, stuffing his hands into his armpits for warmth.

On occasion, his eyes would meander to the wall. He could see the indention he was making, but the progress just wasn't fast enough.

On the other side he could hear Arthur still hurling his rock at the wall. He hadn't stopped yet. Not even for a break.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"Yes?"

_Thud_. _Thud_.

"I was…" Arthur started, but stopped.

_Thud_.

"I don't like when you're quiet," he said finally. "Makes me wonder if you're still there."

Merlin exhaled softly through his nose. The thudding from Arthur's attempts to break through the wall did kind of resemble the sound of a heartbeat. Which only reminded Merlin of when he was younger. Whenever he was frightened he would find his mother and listen to her heart until sleep overcame him.

Which, he guessed, was why he felt so calm in this moment.

"I'm here," Merlin assured. "I wouldn't leave you."

"I know," Arthur said. "But here… we don't really have much of a choice, do we?"

"No," Merlin agreed. "But I would find my way back to you." And after a beat, "Every time."

The thumping on the other side got faster momentarily before silence again.

"Arthur, get some rest," Merlin said. "If tomorrow is anything like today and yesterday, we'll have all day to battle the wall."

"And what if we wake up tomorrow no where near here?" Arthur asked. "What if we wake up even farther away from each other? What if next time, we can't find each other at all?"

"Sleep in shifts?"

"I don't know if that'll help," Arthur said, bashing the rock again.

Tiredly, Merlin made an effort to sit up. Lying down only induced the want to sleep. He faced the wall, lifting his hand so that it hung between him and it. He closed his eyes.

"Eorðe, lyft, fyr, wæter, hiersumaþ me," he began the enchantment in a low whisper. "Eorðe ac stanas hiersumaþ me. Ic can stanas tobrytan. Hiersumaþ me!" He opened his eyes as the spell took hold. They burned golden as a large chunk flew from the wall, causing a loud crack to emit into the air.

"What was that?" Arthur asked, obviously bewildered by the sudden sound.

"Something I should have done in the first place," Merlin said, under his breath. Too quiet to be heard. "Just getting my second wind, sire. Got a large hunk off."

He picked up his rock again, not for any real purpose and performed the spell once again. Similar results ensued. He utilized the rock a couple times before relying on magic for a third time. Another portion detached and fell to the ground.

Arthur, however, had stopped working on his side. "I would love to see this," he began. "It sounds like you are _actually_ working over there."

"If only you could see me," Merlin said, referring to his magic.

Arthur responded with a laugh. "Soon enough."

"No," Merlin spoke low again. "Not soon enough."

More hours passed and the only bright side Merlin could see was that work made him not so cold.

"Argh!" Arthur let out a discouraged scream, pounding his arms against the wall. He continued his frustrations by, what it sounded like, kicking the wall a couple dozen times before stopping. Silence replaced his tirade.

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, placing his body against the wall. He put his hands on it, trying to get as close to his king as possible. He placed his forehead against the stone.

"I can't," Arthur's voice came up, sounding strained.

"Can't what?" Merlin asked immediately. He wanted to help. However he could. "Arthur, what?"

"How am I…?" he began, but stopped, groaning again in aggravation.

"Arthur, please, talk to me," Merlin said. "What is it?"

"I can't, Merlin," he said.

And Merlin inhaled… waiting.

"I can't do this alone," he said, pounding his fist into the wall again. "I can't…" And again he stopped.

"You can't _what_?" Merlin pressed.

"Do this without you!" Arthur said. Again, a _thud_ from his fists. "I _need you_!"

And, _BAM_! Merlin hit the ground, _hard_.

And something heavy was on top of him. He let out a pained moaned, head spinning while confusion took hold of his senses. His eyes blinked a couple times before, lo and behold, Arthur's face came into view.

Arthur's hands were planted on either side of Merlin's head. His eyes looked just as shocked and baffled as Merlin felt. And then a smile, huge, came across his face.

"Merlin!" he said, laughing. He gripped the sides of his servant's face, shaking him happily.

Merlin laughed. "How?"

"No idea," Arthur said. He sat up, still straddling Merlin. His breathing was still labored as his smile lingered on his face. He shook his head, just staring at Merlin for a long moment.

Merlin mirrored his expression. "It's good to see you."

Arthur put his hand out, waiting for Merlin to grip onto it. The warlock took his king's hand and got pulled to his feet.

Merlin studied Arthur. He face, albeit bright with joy, was darkened by fatigue. Deep circles hung under weary eyes. He wore only his cotton shirt, having disposed of the chainmail during his short stint as a battering ram. His shoulders were slumped and his posture wasn't as precise and controlled as he usually held himself.

"You look—" Merlin began but Arthur cut him off.

"We need firewood," he said, already searching and picking up good material for a fire. "If we're going to make it through tonight, we'll need a fire."

"Arthur, you're exhaust—"

"Merlin," he interrupted again. "Wood. Now."

_Ah, good ole Arthur_.

He picked up a couple good pieces of wood in the vicinity, eyeing Arthur steadily. He did it for no real reason, only to make sure he was still there.

"I think we have enough," Merlin said, wishing for Arthur to just stop. "What are we going to do about sleep? Being together won't necessarily help. We were together last time."

"I've already thought about it," Arthur said, setting up the wood for the fire. He balanced the pieces precariously, before standing again. "Come here."

Merlin complied, adding his wood with the excess pile.

Arthur reached out and, with very uncommon familiarity, gripped Merlin's hips momentarily.

"Uh," Merlin said instantly, watching Arthur's hands on his body. His own hands hung out by his sides, unsure of how to act.

The king took hold of Merlin's belt and started undoing it.

"Uh, what?" Merlin said. "What? What?"

The belt came undone and Arthur pulled it the rest of the way off. "Don't get so flustered Merlin," he said with a hint of amusement. "This belt…" He waved it in front of Merlin's face. "Is our solution."

"Why didn't you just use your belt?" Merlin asked.

"Because I actually utilize my belt," Arthur said. "Your belt is a shirt-belt. A pseudo belt."

"And how will this help?" Merlin asked.

"Come here," Arthur said, sitting inside a crevice of amply growing undergrowth.

Merlin was much more hesitant this time, but he obeyed. He moved into the crevice as well, sitting right next to Arthur, their shoulders touching.

"Give me your arm," Arthur said.

Merlin did and watched as Arthur intricately tied the belt around both his and Merlin's forearms. It was done tightly, but it felt secure, and Merlin found that he did not mind the pressure at all. Arthur's arm was warm, unlike the rest of Merlin's body. And it felt comforting to have him so near.

"I think I remember you promising me a compliment," Merlin said softly, looking to Arthur.

But the king was asleep.

Giving a soft laugh, Merlin looked away. He sat forward. "Leohtbora," he whispered and a fire came to life in front of them. The flames moved lively, springing into the air and warmth began to seep into the crevice.

Merlin watched mesmerized, feeling sleep taking hold. He leaned back and nestled himself closer to Arthur.


End file.
